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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCAgen_08May28CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the City Council City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA May 28, 2008 A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 PM B. ROLL CALL: LINDSTROM ____ HARRIS ____ KUETTEL ____ LONG ____ MERCER-TAYLOR ____ MILLER ____ KREUSER ____ C. PRESENTATIONS: 1. Acceptance and recognition of fire department kitchen appliances from Warners’ Stellian 2. CAFR Report – Matt Mayer, CPA Partner, Kern, DeWenter, Viere LTD TAB 1 D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: May 14, 2008 TAB 2 E. PUBLIC HEARINGS: F. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. General Disbursements through 5/22/05: $68,907.76 Payroll through 5/15/08: $9,137.50 TAB 3 2. Approval of new firefighter TAB 4 G. POLICY AGENDA: 1. Adoption of the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement TAB 5 2. Agreement with the Minnesota Climate Change Corps TAB 6 H. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENTS: I. COMMUNITY FORUM: J. ADJOURNMENT TO WORKSHOP: 1. Discussion of Larpenteur Avenue streetscape proposals TAB 7 If you have a disability and need accommodation in order to attend this meeting, please not?ify City Hall 48 hours in advance between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 651-792-7600. We will be happy to help. PRESENTATION C1 5/28/08 ITEM: Acceptance and Recognition of Fire Department Kitchen Appliances From Warners’ Stellian SUBMITTED BY: Clem Kurhajetz, Fire Chief EXPLANATION: Recently, the Falcon Heights Fire Department received a donation of kitchen equipment from Warners’ Stellian. Specifically, the donated items included a new refrigerator, oven, and microwave. It is believed that these appliances replaced ones that were original to the building (built in 1981), and were also donated by Warners’ Stellian. The City of Falcon Heights and the Fire Department Relief Association are very appreciative of Warners’ Stellian for their donation and their ongoing contributions to our community. Representatives of the fire department and Warners’ Stellian will be present to so that they can be formally recognized. ACTION REQUESTED: Staff recommends that the Falcon Heights City Council formally accept the donation of kitchen appliances from Warners’ Stellian and publicly thank them for their generosity. PRESENTATION C2 5/28/08 ITEM: CAFR Report – Matt Mayer, CPA Partner, Kern, DeWenter, Viere LTD SUBMITTED BY: Roland Olson, Finance Director REVIEWED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator Explanation: Each year the City is required to complete an annual audit of its financial statements. The City hired the auditing firm of Kern, DeWenter, and Viere Ltd to perform this annual audit of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007. Matthew Mayer, CPA will present the results. ATTACHMENTS: • Financial Report • Memorandum on Financial Analysis, Accounting Policies and Procedures and Internal Control Regular Meeting of the Falcon Heights City Council May 14, 2008 Members present: Council members Harris, Kuettel, Long, and Mercer-Taylor, Administrator Miller, and Assistant City Administrator/Deput Clerk. Members absent: Mayor Lindstrom. Council member Kuettel called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. The first item on the agenda was a presentation of a recent Citizens’ Academy graduate, Tom Kellogg of Falcon Heights. Chief Ohl introduced officer Tessa Sunde, who explained the academy was started about three years ago in an attempt to teach citizens about the inner workings of the police department. Over the course of the 8-week class, topics covered included DUI, squads, use-of-force, firearms, scenarios, crime labs, and K-9s. She said there were 20 in graduating class, including Kellogg from Falcon Heights. Tom Kellogg addressed the council and explained participating in the academy was a rewarding experience, stating the officers are a top-notch bunch. Council member Kuettel said Falcon Heights really appreciates the SAPD, because they offer the type of policing Falcon Heights needs and wants. Chief Ohl thanked the residents for taking an interest in learning more about their community and the department, and also thanked Officer Sunde, Sgt. Jon Mangseth, Cpt. Dominic Cotroneo, and CSO Carolyn Quick for their commitment to making the academy a success. Officer Sunde added the academy would again be offered in 2009. The minutes of the April 23, 2008 meeting were approved as submitted. Consent Agenda: Council member Harris asked why it was necessary to formally adopt the debt and capital fund budgets. Miller replied that the budget was adopted in aggregate initially, and this separate motion was upon recommendation from the auditors, that it was really a technicality. Council member Mercer-Taylor asked what time period the police service payment covered. Miller replied the payments were done monthly, and the amount didn’t seem abnormal. Council member Long moved to approve the following five items. The motion passed unanimously. 1. General Disbursements through 5/8/08: $109,581.83 Payroll through 4/30/08: $15,533.16 2. 2008 Licenses 3. Sanitary Sewer Cleaning Program 4. Acceptance of election results for Fire Chief, Assistant Chief 5. Formally adopt 2008 Debt and Capital Fund Expenditure Budgets Information/Announcements: Council member Mercer-Taylor said she and Miller had attended a senior services in Ramsey County meeting, and would like to discuss with the council possible ways the city could take a role. Council member Kuettel said the SAPD conducted a bike safety class, which allowed students to ride their bikes to school this week. There’s been great participation. The Farmer’s Market is open in Falcon Heights, Tuesdays from 7:30 – noon. Parks and rec summer programming registration closes June 9. Lastly, she reminded residents to get permits for work done to their property: roofing, siding, windows, fences, plumbing, driveways, and mechanical are just a few of the projects that require a permit. Council member Long asked residents to please slow down on our streets. Administrator Miller announced the speed trailer is back out on the streets, and if residents have requests on its placement, to call city hall. Next, the recyclable bags are still available at city hall for $2 each. Finally, along Roselawn Qwest is installing fibre optic cable to improve DSL service in the city. There will be little disruption during this installation. Also, northbound Snelling Ave, north of Roselawn to hwy 36 is being expanded to three lanes. The State says that will be a summer-long project. Council member Harris asked if the sanitary sewer line cleaning will disrupt service. Miller replied it would not, there would be a truck in the street but all lines will still be in service. Council member Kuettel adjourned the meeting at 7:27 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Stacey Kreuser Assistant City Administrator/Deputy Clerk CONSENT F1 5/28/08 ITEM: Disbursements and Payroll SUBMITTED BY: Roland O. Olson, Finance Director REVIEWED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator EXPLANATION: General Disbursements through 5/22/08: $68,907.76 Payroll through 5/15/08: $9,137.50 ATTACHMENTS: • General Disbursements • Payroll • Credit card statement ACTION REQUESTED: Approval CONSENT F2 5/28/08 ITEM: Approval of new firefighter SUBMITTED BY: Clem Kurhajetz, Fire Chief EXPLANATION: Michael Arcand is recommended for approval as a firefighter with the Falcon Heights Fire Department. ACTION REQUESTED: Approval POLICY G1 5/28/08 ITEM: Adoption of the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement SUBMITTED BY: Peter Lindstrom, Mayor EXPLANATION: One of the city council goals for 2008 is to “provide for a clean, healthy, sustainable environment.” To help reach this goal, the environment commission has been evaluating various options, one of which includes having the city adopt the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in 1997 to address global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. While the United States federal government has not formally ratified the treaty, many cities have taken it upon themselves to adopt a similar agreement and address global warming on a more local scale. To date, over 800 cities have adopted the agreement, 37 of which are from Minnesota (see attached list). A full list of participating cities can be found at www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htm. The agreement states that the city will take steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and outlines 12 steps that local communities can take to meet this goal. Our city is already taking many of these steps, and further action is currently being studied by the environment commission. The environment commission has been studying this agreement throughout the year, and on May 12th unanimously recommended that the city council adopt it. ACTION REQUESTED: The environment commission recommends that the Falcon Heights City Council adopt the attached U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement and begin taking to steps to implement its goals and policies. Cities That Have Signed On 37 from Minnesota Mayor City Population Mary Hamann-Roland Apple Valley 45,527 William Ojala Aurora 1,751 Thomas Stiehm Austin 23,331 Richard Lehmann Bemidji 13,296 Craig Pulford Buhl 988 Elizabeth Kautz Burnsville 60,220 Michael Jugovich Chisholm 4,701 Herb Bergson Duluth 86,918 Mike Maguire Eagan 63,557 Nancy Tyra-Lukens Eden Prairie 54,901 James Hovland Edina 47,425 Linda Loomis Golden Valley 19,921 Rick Wolff Hibbing 16,509 Steve Cook Hutchinson 13,722 Shawn Mason International Falls 6,332 Katie Himanga Lake City 5,282 Judson Marshall Mahtomedi 8,017 Ron Anderson Milan 323 R.T. Rybak Minneapolis 382,618 Gary Skalko Mount Iron 2,945 Ray Melander Nevis 389 David Beudet Oak Park Heights 4,051 Nancy Carroll Park Rapids 3,557 Donna Dummer Red Wing 15,799 Ardell Brede Rochester 85,806 William Droste Rosemount 20,468 Craig Klausing Roseville 33,690 Mark Campbell Sauk Rapids 11,560 Dave Kleis St. Cloud 59,107 Chris Coleman St. Paul 287,151 Molly Park Sunfish Lake 515 Stephen Abrahamson Tower 479 Gary Burger Turtle River 79 Carolyn Gentilini Virginia 8,666 Paul Auger White Bear Lake 23,733 Jerry Miller Winona 26,587 William Hargis Woodbury 46,463 City of Falcon Heights Resolution 08-04 The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement (As endorsed by the 73rd Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, Chicago, 2005) A. We urge the federal government and state governments to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, including efforts to: reduce the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and fuel-efficient technologies such as conservation, methane recovery for energy generation, waste to energy, wind and solar energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehicles, and biofuels; B. We urge the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that 1) includes clear timetables and emissions limits and 2) a flexible, market-based system of tradable allowances among emitting industries; and C. We will strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities such as: 1. Inventory global warming emissions in City operations and in the community, set reduction targets and create an action plan. 2. Adopt and enforce land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and create compact, walkable urban communities; 3. Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit; 4. Increase the use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, investing in “green tags”, advocating for the development of renewable energy resources, recovering landfill methane for energy production, and supporting the use of waste to energy technology; 5. Make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements, retrofitting city facilities with energy efficient lighting and urging employees to conserve energy and save money; 6. Purchase only Energy Star equipment and appliances for City use; 7. Practice and promote sustainable building building practices using the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program or a similar system; 8. Increase the average fuel efficiency of municipal fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including anti-idling messages; convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel; 9. Evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems; recover wastewater treatment methane for energy production; 10. Increase recycling rates in City operations and in the community; 11. Maintain healthy urban forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb CO2; and 12. Help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business and industry about reducing global warming pollution. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Falcon Heights supports these actions, and enters into the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Moved by: Approved by: ________________________ Peter Lindstrom, Mayor May 28, 2008 LINDSTROM ____ In Favor Attested by: ________________________ KUETTEL Justin Miller HARRIS ____ Against City Administrator LONG May 28, 2008 MERCER-TAYLOR POLICY G2 5/28/08 ITEM: Agreement with the Minnesota Climate Change Corps SUBMITTED BY: Peter Lindstrom, Mayor EXPLANATION: One of the requested actions of the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement is for cities to “strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities.” One such suggestion is to “inventory global warming emissions in city operations and in the community, set reduction targets and create an action plan.” Earlier this year, the environment commission heard a presentation from the Minnesota Climate Change Corps (MN CCC), a group of retired engineers who are used by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as consultants to local communities on various environmental issues. One program they provide is to measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions a city produces, which then creates a baseline for cities to work off of. They will perform this analysis not only for city operations, but for all operations within the city limits by working with utility companies on obtaining aggregate utility usage information. Perhaps the best part of this program is that it is provided free of charge to local communities. Once approved, the MN CCC will begin working with city staff on conducting the study and developing an emission reduction plan for the council to approve at a later date. The city is under no obligation to implement any of the recommendations that are proposed as a result of this study. The attached engagement letter has been submitted by the MN CCC and has been reviewed by our city attorney. ACTION REQUESTED: The environment commission recommends that the Falcon Heights City Council approve the attached engagement letter with the Minnesota Climate Change Corps to assist in developing a carbon baseline for the City of Falcon Heights. WKSP 1 5/28/08 ITEM: Larpenteur Avenue Streetscape RFPs SUBMITTED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator EXPLANATION: Recently the City of Falcon Heights solicited requests for proposals (RFPs) for streetscape concept design services along Larpenteur Avenue. The RFP (copy attached) was mailed to nine engineering/design consultants in the metropolitan area that staff had has experience with. Four proposals were submitted: Olsson Associates $17,875 SRF Consulting Group $26,328 Bonestroo $28,500 Kimley-Horn and Associates $29,750 A staff team comprised of myself, Plan and Zoning Administrator Deb Jones and City Engineer Deb Bloom reviewed the proposals and came to similar conclusions. All of the proposals seemed to demonstrate knowledge of the project, our public participation needs, and the challenges associated with the project. The evaluation team felt that the proposals fell into two groups – one which would provide a basic framework for basic and straightforward plans, and another which would allow for a more comprehensive streetscape plan that addresses the entire Larpenteur corridor. The key deliverables of this process would include: • Stakeholder input (meetings with property owners and affected government agencies, open houses, staff and city council input) • Formation and coordination of a streetscape advisory committee • Preparation of concept plans • Estimates of anticipated costs • Outline of follow-up steps ACTION REQUESTED: Staff recommends that the Falcon Heights City Council review the submitted RFPs and direct staff to work with the selected consultant on drafting a professional services agreement to conduct streetscape concept design for Larpenteur Avenue. Falcon Heights Larpenteur Avenue Streetscape Request for Proposals The City of Falcon Heights is interested in enhancing the Larpenteur Avenue streetscape within our city borders (Fulham Avenue on the west, Hamline Avenue on the east). The current conditions include wide concrete medians (some places reaching approximately ten feet in width), and sidewalks on both sides of the street. Larpenteur Avenue is one of the two major arterial streets that run through Falcon Heights, and large events such as the Minnesota State Fair bring thousands of visitors along this corridor each year. Primary goals of the project would be to beautify the corridor as well as to create a sense of identity that would distinguish the city from our neighboring communities. Enhancing the sidewalks and medians would also make the corridor more inviting for pedestrians, thus encouraging more walking, jogging and bicycling, which is a goal of the city. Known barriers to the concept include available funding, University of Minnesota cooperation (due to the sensitive nature of the research fields), and approval from Ramsey County since Larpenteur Avenue is a county road. The city is seeking proposals from qualified firms to initiate this project. Key tasks will include: 1) Preliminary meeting with staff and city council to discuss desired outcomes, as well as mid-project “check-in” updates and a final report presentation to city council. 2) Facilitate discussions with appropriate University of Minnesota personnel on impacts to research fields and develop options to meet their needs. 3) Hold stakeholder meetings with affected property owners along Larpenteur Avenue (includes approximately 90 parcels made up of single family homes, apartment buildings, commercial properties, Minnesota State Fairgrounds, and the University of Minnesota golf course). 4) Facilitate discussions with appropriate Ramsey County officials. 5) Provide a feasibility report that includes: a. Concept plans b. Compilation of input from various stakeholders c. Various streetscape enhancement options including, but not limited to, trees, flowers, grasses, benches, streetlights, fencing, retaining walls, and decorative paving d. Estimated construction cost e. Estimated maintenance costs f. Estimated construction schedule 6) Outline of follow-up steps needed to implement proposed project If you are interested in providing design services for this project, please prepare a short proposal that includes the following and submit three copies by Friday, May 2nd: • Description of your understanding of the project • Description of your approach to this project including a preliminary work plan • The project team, clearly identifying the Project Manager and the relevant experience and role of each team member • Consultant’s experience on similar projects with descriptions and references • Description of fees including a preliminary fee estimate The city’s timeframe is fairly flexible, but we would envision this process beginning in 2008 with results being completed by the end of the year so that design and construction cost estimates can be included in the 2009 budget. City of Falcon Heights Attn: Justin Miller 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave. Falcon Heights, MN 55113 Questions can be directed to Justin Miller, City Administrator, at justin.miller@falconheights.org or by calling (651) 792-7611.